Category: DIY Guides

My mama and me are going to a baby shower in a few weeks. As we were choosing items from the baby registry, we saw a set of adorable baby socks and our creative minds started churning … we decided to make a baby sock bouquet!

This DIY baby sock bouquet is simple to make and it can be used as a gift or as a centerpiece for a baby shower party.

All the supplies used were purchased from our local dollar store, with the exception of the socks, for a total cost of $12.50. (We bought name-brand socks, but you could use baby socks from your local dollar store and make the gift for as little as $4.50)

Quick tip:

As you roll the socks to create the rose, it is best to make sure the heel part of the sock is at the top part of the rose. Doing so will create dimension, mimicking the center of a real rose.

A few years back I was in charge of decorations for my mother-in-law’s 60th Birthday party. This was the first time I was planning a nautical themed party and I was beyond thrilled just thinking of all the possibilities. Because she loved lighthouses, I knew I wanted to have a lighthouse in the center of each table.

My searches at the party stores and the internet were exhaustive. All the lighthouse centerpieces I found were either extremely expensive or extremely cheap. My budget was set at $4 per centerpiece and they had to be good quality. That’s when I realized I would have to make the centerpieces myself.

I began to think of the basic shapes of a lighthouse and the different type of objects I could use to mimic those shapes. That’s when it hit me to use a Pilsner glass … it is the perfect shape! Plus, it could be taken a part after the party to be reused.

This is an original design that I would like to share with you. I was able to find all the items at my local Dollar Tree, costing exactly $3.25 for each centerpiece.

Step 1: Clean and dry the Pilsner glass to remove any oils.

Step 2: Turn the Pilsner glass upside down on your work surface so that the base of the glass is pointed towards the ceiling. Using the black paint and small paint brush, paint three square windows and a door on one side of the Pilsner glass. Let the paint dry.

Step 3: Add a dot of hot glue on one end of the ribbon and secure it to the top of the Pilsner glass. Twist the ribbon around the glass until you get to the base, making sure not to cross over the windows and doors. Secure the end of the ribbon to the bottom of the glass with another dot of hot glue and trim the end.

Step 4: Center the Pilsner glass, rim side down, onto the top of the circle Styrofoam disc and gently press the glass into the Styrofoam. Don’t press too hard, just enough for the glass to be stuck to the Styrofoam without going all the way through.

Step 5: Use the hot glue gun to secure small rocks to the Styrofoam ledge, creating the base.

Step 6: Use warm soapy water to remove the label on the small candle jar and dry.

Step 7: Take the lid off of the small jar candle. Use a spoon to carve out a circular hole in the wax. The hole should have a diameter and depth that can fit a battery operated tea light.

Step 8: Place the tealight into the hole that you just carved out of the candle. Adjust the dept as needed to make sure the lid to the jar can be closed.

Step 9: Add hot glue to the top of the Pilsner glass and place the base of the small candle jar on top of the hot glue to secure.

Congratulations … you are finished! Repeat these steps according to how many tables you will have at your event.

Choose different colored ribbons or candles to personalize your centerpiece. You could even paint the Styrofoam. Get creative!

Make sure to turn the tealights on when you start the party so that they will glow all night long!

Want to hand out a party favor at your event but you have a lot of guests and need to make sure you don’t go over budget? Here is a perfect solution that can be tailored to any party theme … a drink coaster set! And, you will only spend $2 (or less) per guest.

I will take you step-by-step to create a drink coaster set for each of your guests. If you have more than 100 guests, it would be fun to recruit some helpers and set up an assembly line. Maybe put on some music and turn it into a crafting party – fun, fun!

Step 1: Cut out two 4×4-inch felt squares and set them aside.

Step 2: Cut out two 4×4-inch photo images and set them aside.

Be creative when selecting your photo images … you can use old maps, scrapbook paper, magazine images, or even print images on regular copy paper.

Step 3: Dip the foam paint brush into the Mod Podge (or watered-down Elmer’s glue) and brush a thin layer of glue on the backside of the photo image.

Step 4: Place the photo image, glue-side down, onto the top surface of the ceramic tile. Make sure the photo image is centered on the tile.

Step 5: Use the foam paint brush to smooth the top of the photo image and remove any air bubbles. Set the tile aside to dry.

Step 6: After both tiles are dry, use a clean foam paint brush to apply a thin coat of the Polycrylic finish onto the surface of the tile. Set the tile aside to dry, for at least 24 hours.

Step 7: Once the clear finish is dry, use the E6000 glue to apply the felt square to the bottom of the tile, and set aside to dry.

Step 8: Bundle two of the finished tile coasters together with twine (or ribbon).

Step 9: Finish the party favor by handwriting a simple thank you message to a string hanging tag and tie it to the twine.

You’re finished!

Now, you just have to repeat the steps as many times as there are guests. I am certain your family and friends will appreciate the time, effort, and creativity that you put into their gift!

Remember to include your own personality when recreating this project. Choose different colors and images that appeal to you. Play around with different style tags too.

One last tip … earlier I mentioned you can make these coaster sets for less than $2 a piece. There is two ways to accomplish this … 1. Try to get the craft supplies for free from community forums like Craigslist, and 2. Always use coupons offered by your local craft store.

Happy savings … and remember to have fun!

P.S. I used this DIY project as the party favors for my own wedding. Check out my How to Plan a Wedding post for more details.